A Monk Swimming : A Memoir [Bargain Price] [Paperback]

Malachy McCourt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2, 1999

An entertaining memoir of a rollicking life in New York of an Irish immigrant. The title is derived from the young Malachy's mishearing of the words 'amongst women' in Hail Mary. Malachy McCourt, younger brother to Frank, had his childhood portrayed in the much loved best-selling book, Angela's Ashes. Here he tells the story of his own hell-raising days when he left Ireland and went in search of fame, fortune and fun in New York. The Exuberance of the Irish lifestyle in New York is matched with the scenes of rollercoaster emotional life, and a fair amount of alcohol. A MONK SWIMMING, the story of a life lived uproariously, is light-hearted and immensely readable, outrageous and comic

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Slapped with a libel suit after an appearance on a talk show, Malachy McCourt crows, "If they could only see me now in the slums of Limerick, a big shot, sued for a million. Bejesus, isn't America a great and wonderful country?" His older brother Frank's Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir, Angela's Ashes, took its somber tone from the bleak atmosphere of those slums, while Malachy's boisterous recollections are fueled by his zestful appreciation for the opportunities and oddities of his native land. He and Frank were born in Brooklyn, moved with their parents to Ireland as children, then returned to the States as adults. This book covers the decade 1952-63, when Malachy roistered across the U.S., Europe, and Asia, but spent most of his time in New York City. There his ready wit and quick tongue won him an acting job with the Irish Players, a semiregular stint on the Tonight show hosted by Jack Paar, and friendships with some well-heeled, well-born types who shared his fondness for saloon life and bankrolled him in an East Side saloon that may have been the first singles bar. He chronicles those events--and many others--with back-slapping bonhomie. Although McCourt acknowledges the personal demons that pursued him from his poverty-stricken childhood and destroyed his first marriage, this is on the whole an exuberant autobiography that pays tribute to the joys of a freewheeling life. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

Taking up where brother Frank left off, McCourt recounts his early days in New York. The title comes from McCourt's youthful misunderstanding of the phrase amongst women in the Hail Mary.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• ISBN-10: 0786884142
• ASIN: B0007RDOSG
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (209 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,410,718 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Credit Deserved For What It Is...NOT Another ASHES, August 29, 1998

By 

Michael D. Weiss (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Monk Swimming (Hardcover)

While many have made the mistake of comparing Malachy McCourt's adult memoir, A MONK SWIMMING, to his brother Frank's more tragic childhood recount in the Pulitzer Prize-winning ANGELA'S ASHES, I preferred reading the book on a completely separate level. As this younger brother's memoir is in a sense a continuation of the McCourt saga, which picks up from a different perspective on the hopeful ending of ASHES, it is a story of a different time, place and person, bereft of most of the second-hand misery that accompanied the 362 pages of Frank's heart-wrentching tale.

The character worries of ANGELA'S ASHES included surviving famine, tuburculosis and the general abominations of poverty. A MONK SWIMMING grapples mainly with the issues of managing an acting sometime career, excessive pubbing and sordid sexual conquests and the more literarily comical debacles derived from such.

Lacking the degree of drama, this book has perhaps been thought of as a disappointment in the wake of its seeming predecessor. Yet judged on its own merits and intentions, A MONK SWIMMING is a terrific piece altogether, told with all the heart and lilt that apparently runs strong in the McCourt clan. Malachy chronicles the charming, wily escapades of an unapologetic drunk--himself--in this, a story about an Irish immigrant living (and occasionally thriving) in America. His wit and style are a wonderful amalgam of Irish irony and lyricism with New York abrasiveness and sophistication.

There IS a tragic element to this narrative, however, in that Malachy proves to be much like his wretch of a father (for whom he was conveniently named), a man who oftentimes put the bottle before the family. In that there is a contrite quality to his descriptions of certain events, such as losing his first wife and not being allowed to see his children for a time. This adds reality and cynicism to an otherwise humorous bio that appears as the anecdotes progress through Malachy's evolvement as, dare I say, more American than Irish.

A MONK SWIMMING ought to be viewed and enjoyed for what it is: a genuine, tipsy romp, as clever and raucous as its author. It is not another ANGELA'S ASHES nor, rest assured, was it ever purported to be.

35 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dealing with the Past: A Less Romantic View, August 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A Monk Swimming A Memoir (Paperback)

In "A Monk Swimming," Malachy McCourt recounts stories of his less-than-mature response to his awful childhood. His brother Frank, on the other hand, gives us a more refined, crafted, and artistic story. Both versions are worth reading. It's interesting to see how two related people emerged so differently from the same circumstances.

I like that Malachy McCourt gives no excuses for his behavior. He's a pretty objective recorder of his exploits; he doesn't pretty them up. He admits he drank too much, abandoned his wife and kids, and searched for some peace (unsuccessfully) through sex. He doesn't glorify himself; at the end, I was left with sadness. He closes with a description of his father and the pain of that relationship. This final chapter is the explanation (though not an excuse) for the rest of the exploits in the book.

Frank McCourt is the philosopher while Malachy is the bad kid who has no qualms about telling it like it is. When I read Malachy's version of McCourt history, I thought, 'Ok, poverty is not some romantic world where everyone ends up spouting gorgeous poetry and coming to terms with their past.' Malachy has humor, audacity, and a flare for hyperbole - all these the qualities of a good Irish storyteller. These are stories I could imagine hearing while sitting a bar - stories that are enlarged and enhanced upon each telling. Malachy clearly captures a time and place and a character (himself). Some might not like who he is, but he provides a vivid picture of who he is. He captures, by recounting his escapades, his own tortured response to his childhood.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Wild Ride, December 27, 1999

By 

V Ryan "Vic" (Phila, PA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Monk Swimming A Memoir (Paperback)

Few people can hope to experience the fun & wild times of Malachy McCourt, in spite of his underpriveleged up-bringing. His life would have been interesting enough, but his literary style is exciting, making it difficult to put the book down. His colorful descriptions put you right there with him. When he's drunk, you feel drunk; when he describes the filth and stench of a public restroom in India, you can see & smell it. Malachy McCourt takes you on a wild ride through his life, and makes you wonder whether you've done enough in your own life.